Peanut-picking machine



Feb.'3, 1931. P. L. MORRlS PEANUT PICKING MACHINE INVENT BY H15 ATTORKEY Filed Sept. 29, 1928 l etented Feb. 3, 1931 l? STAT mien PAUL= L. MORRIS, 0F POTTSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA PEANUT- ZPICKI1\TG MACHINE Application filed-September 29, 1928.

Thisrinvention relates to improvements to the peanut picking machine shown anddeand a relatively movable rack. Each of the racksis provided with teeth which co-operate to tear the vines apart and separatethe peanuts therefrom.

The peanuts and the smaller 'brolren partic'les of vines and other refuse drop from the separating racks onto a pair of inclined platforms 81 and 82, while the larger portions of the vines are discharged from the machine by the movable rack;

The peanuts and the said refuse pass from the inclined shelves 81 and 82into a cleaning chamber 131, Wherein'the peanuts and refuse are separated, the peanuts passing into a discharge chute 111 and the refuse being discharged fromthe said chamber 131 over the top of the rear wall10 1thereof.

Upon entering thecleaning chamber 131 the mass passes :first over acfiexible shelf element- 103, and thence over an upper grat- ..ing comprising a plurality of substantially parallel rods 99, which are secured, at one end only, to a suitablcsupporting bar 102.

At this point the loose peanuts and'finely divided particles of refuse are-separated from the larger particles of refuse, the peanuts and finer particles of refuse passing between the rods 99 and toward an under-grating 9 6, while the larger particles of refuse, and in some instances some peanuts which may have become enmeshed with or which have remained attached to the largeriparticles of refuse, are blown, by a blast of air created ;by a fan 12, along and over the free ends of the rods 99, from whence, as noted in the above mentioned patent, they pass into a suitable conduit through which they are returned :by a suitable air conveyor to'the space he- Serial No. 309,287.

tween the said separating racks, to be, passed a gain through the machine.

The finer particles of refuse, being lighter than the peanuts, are blown, by the blast of airfrom the fan 12, out of the machine over the inclined rear wall 104; of the cleaning chamber 131. The inclined wall 10 1 also directsthe said larger and consequently heavier particles of-refuse into the said air conveyer, the cleaned peanuts dropping through the said air blast and through the undergrating 96 onto an inclined shelf 108, down which they pass into the discharge chute 111.

Ihave found that there is not-a sufiicient number of peanuts left on the broken vines which are moved along the rods 99 to wan rant the returning of these vine particles to the separating racks by theair conveyor, and

that this returning of tnese parts of the vines tends to clog the machine and materially reduce thehour capacity thereof. I, therefore, have eliminated the said air conveyer, which receives these vine particles from the ends of the rods 99, and have inserted what I term a boosterfan 120.

The booster fan 120 comprises a fan cas-- ing 121 having a suitable fan 122 rotatably mounted therein, said casing 121 having a discharge nozzle 128, which directs a continuous blast of current of air into the cleaning chamber 181 against the inside surface of the inclined wall 10%. The flow of air created by the booster fan 120 passes between adjacent rods of a series of parallel longitucinally extending and closely positioned rods 112 which constitutes a grating or perforated extension 1080 of the shelf 108.

As shownon the attached drawing, the rods 99 extend longitudinally through the cleaning chamber 151 and stop short of the rear end of the undergrating 96 and the said under-grating 96 comprises a series of slats 96a extending transversely of the chamb r 181. This undergrating 96 is provided at its rear end with a series of short longitudinally extending-parallel rods 99a similar in all respects to the said series of rods 99, the rods'99a being supported at one end only by the undergrating 96.

In the improved machine forming the subthe discharge spout 111.

jcctf the present application the heavier particles of refuse, which may have some few peanuts intermingled therewith, are carried, by the air currents created by theifan 12,

. along the rods 99, and from there over the rear end of the undergrating 9 6 and along the rods 96a from the ends of which they would-drop onto the perforated extension 108a of the shelf 108, the air current created by the fan 12 at this end of the cleaning chainber having insufiicient force to raise the heavier refuse particles and the peanuts therein over the upper edge of the rear wall 1040f the chamber 131.

If the fan 12 should be constructed and operated in a manner to create a sufliciently strong current of air through the cleaning chamber 131, between the shelves S1 and 108, to eject the heavier particles of refuse from the machine over the top of the wall such an air current would also be sufficiently strong to carry the cleaned peanuts in its path and prevent their dropping onto the shelf 108 and their passage therealong into Therefore, the fan 12 is operated at a speed adapted to create a current of air of only a sufficient force or velocity to move the refuse outwardly through and substantially to the discharge end of the chamber 131. Obviously, the farther away from the fan the weaker becomes the force of the air current, which at th said discharge end of the chamber 131 is insuflicient to raise the heavier particles of refuse over the wall 10% as above noted. At this point the booster fan 120 becomes effective to accelerate the passage of the refuse out of the machine over the top of the said inclined wall 10% and its purpose is to create acurrent of air at the discharge end of the machine which will raise the refuse, which is lighter than the peanuts, .ver the end wall 10a and out of the cleani chamber 131, through which the said ref has been primarily conducted by the air currents created by the main fan 12. The jjieanuts being heavier than the refuse will f ll onto and move down the perforated r .ision 108a and shelf 168 into the dischar e chute 111.

The current of air created by the booster fan 120, like that of the fan 12, is not suiii ciently strong to raise the peanuts over t- 116 wall 10st but has suflicient force to raise the particles of refuse thereover.

The wall 104 comprises a fixed portion 104a and a relatively movable section 1045 which is movable in a plane parallel to that of the fixed portion 10% for the purpose of regulating; the height of the said wall 104 in accordance with the force of the air current created by the booster fan 120, so that any peanuts which have advanced to this end of the chamber 131 will not be raised over the said rear wall 104.

The outer end of the perforated extension 108a of the shelf 108 may be adjusted toward and away from the wall 10a by i-otat-ir the rod 109 to which the part 1080 is attached for the purpose of permitting the said tension to be cleaned, etc.

Any well known means may i for securing the movable so wall 104 and the extension ii 108 in their adjusted positions.

The fans 12 and 120 are sui' 'ibly comiccted together for synchronous operation by means of a belt 110, power being appli d to the shaft of the fan 12 by any suitable means such as that illustrated in the above mentioned co-pending application.

I preferably form the extension 108a of a series of parallel rods or wire, which, for example, may be one-eighth of an inch in diameter and spaced one-quarter of an inch apart. The extension may, however, he can] posed of a wire mesh screen or a suitable perforated plate without departing from the essential feature of the invention, which is to permit the current of air created by the booster fan 120 to enter the cleaning chamber 131 and prevent the peanuts from dropping out of the machine at the place where this current of air enters. Thus a final cleaning and separating of peanuts and refuse is attained.

I claim:

1. In a peanut picking machine having); a

chamber and a main fan directing a current of air through said cleaning chamber from the receiving end toward the delivery end hereof, the combination therewith of a perforated extension on the said lower wall adjacent the said rear wall of the chainb-er, and a booster fan adapted to direct a supplementary current of air into said chamber through the said perforated extension of the lower wall thereof.

2. In a peanut picking machine having a cleaning chamber into one end of which the peanuts and plant refuse are placed, a main fan for directing a current of air throu said chamber from the receiving end tci the delivery end thereof, and an und ing in said chamber comprising a series of slats extending transversely of said chamber, the combination thereuitn of an upper r t ing located above the said undergn'atingand comprising a series of rods extending longitudinally of the said chan'iber and termin t ing at a point inwardly posed with respect to the rear edge of the said undergrating. a second series of rods extending re arwardlv from the said rear edge of the said under grating longitudinally of the said chamber, and a booster fan for injecting a supplemen tary current of air into said chamber adja cent the rear ends of the second said series of rods. I

3. In a peanut picking machine havinga cleaning chamber into one end of which the peanuts and plant refuse are placed comprising a bottom wall and a rear wall extending upwardly from the plane of said bottom wall and partially closing the discharge end of the chamber, a main fan for directing a current of air through said chamber from the receivin end toward the delivery end thereof, and an undergrating in said chamber comprising a series of slats extending transversely of said chamber, the combination therewith of an upper grating located above said undergrating and comprising a series of rods extending longitudinally of the said chamber and terminating at a point inwardly disposed with respect to the rear ed e of the said undergrating, a second series of rods extending rearwardly from the said rear edge of the said undergrating and longitudinally of the said chamber, a perforated extension on said bottom wall adjacent the said rear wall of the chamber, and a booster fan for injecting a supplementary current of air into said chamber between the rear ends of the second said series of rods, and the rear wall of the chamber, through the perforated extension of the said lower wall of the chamber.

4. In a peanut picking machine having a cleaning chamber comprising a pair of substantially parallel upper and lower walls into one end of which the peanuts and plant refuse are placed, a rear wall for said chamber extending from a point substantially in line with the plane of the said lower wall toward and terminating at a point below said upper wall, and means for directing a current of air through said chamber from the receiving end thereof toward the said rear wall, the combination therewith of a perforated extension on said lower wall adjacent the said rear wall of the said chamber, and a booster fan for directing a supplementary current of air into said chamber through the perforated extension of the lower wall of said chamber, said rear wall comprising a fixed section and a section movable with respect to said fixed section toward and away from the said upper wall of the chamber.

5. In a peanut pickingmachine having a cleaning chamber comprising a pair of sul stantially parallel upper and lower walls into one end of which the peanuts and plant refuse are placed, a rear wall for said chamber extending from a point substantially in line with the plane of the said lower wall toward and terminating at a point below said upper wall, and means for directing a current of air through said chamber from the receiving end thereof toward the said rear wall, the combination therewith of a perforated extension on said lower wall disposed at an anof the chamber.

PAUL L. MORRIS. 

